Piping Hot

7,000 pipers and drummers in 230 bands from around the world arrived in Glasgow this week for the World Pipe Championships being staged on Glasgow Green. There was a strong contingent from Canada and the US as well as Australia and the Royal Army of Oman, in bright red uniforms, added their own brand of colour to all the tartan. The bands performed in brilliant sunshine in front of a crowd of 30,000 in five arenas. Last year's winners of the Grade 1 Championships, the Field Marshall Montgomery band from Northern Ireland, were hoping to win a fourth title but at the end of the day it was House of Edgar - Shotts & Dykehead who came first (that's them, pictured above), followed by Field Marshal Montgomery of Ulster and Simon Fraser University of Canada, was third. The championship has been held in Glasgow since 1986 and the city's lord provost, Liz Cameron, was in attendance as "chieftain" of the championships. While the spotlight inevitably falls on the Grade 1 Championship, with crowds gathered round each band as they tune up before going into the arena, one of the delights of the event is the host of other bands in lower grades who are competing with just as much enthusiasm - and tension - in the less crowded arenas. For additional results of the World Pipe Band Championships see Piper and Drummer

Further Delay on Parliament Building?

There have been reports that the completion of the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood in Edinburgh is likely to miss the present target date of Easter 2004, due to a major problem with the main skylight at the centre of the complex. The delays will also add to the spiralling cost of the building and could push it above £400 million. If the present target date is missed, the Members of the Scottish Parliament will not be able to move in until after next year's summer recess.

"Health of Scottish Men Has Almost Become a National Joke"

That's what the First Minister, Jack McConnell, said this week as he launched a national network of health checks services for men which will be available in every part of Scotland. This is part of a campaign to reduce the number of Scots who die prematurely from diseases such as stroke, cancer and heart disease. Far too many men eat badly, drink too much, and don't take nearly enough exercise. And even men who do look after themselves are often far too reluctant to get regular check-ups. Unlike most women, men often ignore warning symptoms until it is too late. A number of pilot health check services will be tried out next year in various locations throughout Scotland. The feedback from these will be used to design a national network of health check services for men over the next few years.

$2.7 Billion Lockerbie Deal Signed

A deal has been reached to create a bank account to hold $2.7 billion in reparations to be paid by Libya and that country has accepted responsibility for the mid-air bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie in December 1988 in which 270 people died. As a result, UN sanctions against Libya are likely to be lifted. While some of those who lost relatives and loved ones in the tragedy see the agreement as some kind of closing of a chapter, others feel that Colonel Gadaffi has not been brought to justice. In 2001, a Scottish court convicted Abdel Basset Ali Megrahi, a Libyan intelligence agent, of the bombing and sentenced him to life imprisonment. He is currently serving that sentence in Barlinnie jail in Glasgow. A second Libyan was acquitted.
The illustration shows the Garden of Remembrance at Dryfesdale Cemetery near Lockerbie.

Scotland's Property Market Hits £10 Billion

The Registers of Scotland, a government agency which records every house sale across Scotland, this week published a quarterly report on housing transactions in the quarter from April to June this year. They predict that some £10 billion worth of property will change hands in Scotland this year. The figures also show that while Edinburgh has the highest average house price at £122,549, Glasgow shows the highest percentage increase in the average price - 19% in the year. The average increase in prices over the whole of Scotland is calculated to be 15%. Until now, such reports have been provided by the major banks and building societies. Almost inevitably, however, the information they contain is based upon a sample drawn from their respective customer bases and limited share of the market.

On Again, Off Again, On Again

The long-running saga of pay negotiations involving the staff of the ferry company Caledonian MacBrayne, took more new twists this week. After threatening strike action, the union had appeared to have negotiated a deal with the ferry company management last week - only to have the agreement rejected by the hardline union bosses in London. It took the intervention of Members of the Scottish Parliament to get the two sides round the negotiating table again. On Monday of this week, they appeared to have reached an another agreement after seven hours of negotiation and the union said that a strike ballot would be suspended. It was understood that the deal would be put to the workers later in the week. But within 24 hours, the union had issued a statement on the deal - which the CalMac management said was incorrect. Union leaders then accused the CalMac negotiators of being "dishonourable people" and said they were pressing ahead with ballot papers calling for a strike. Around 22 islands and 50,000 islanders depend on the ferry services operated by CalMac.

13,000 Pupils Fail Higher English

The results of the Higher and Standard Grade examinations, which candidates sat at the end of the summer school term, arrived by post this week. 140,000 Scottish pupils were waiting on tenterhooks for their certificates showing the results. Many would be disappointed as the pass rate for Higher English was only 59.2%, down 13% from the pass rate in 2001. The overall pass rate for all the exams was almost the same as last year, so the drop in English passes was particularly noteworthy. In contrast, the pass rate for Higher Mathematics rose from 64.3% to 66.8%. But it appears that part of the reason for the high failure rate in English is that too many candidates who have no hope of passing were presented by schools - 25% of those sitting the exam failed to reach even 30%. But many of those failing the Higher exam are then automatically given a "fall-back" award at a lower level. The format of the exam has also changed - there is no longer a folio project which pupils completed in their own time. There has always been the suspicion that some pupils were getting help from parents and others in completing that element.

Scottish Architects Feel Rejected

Charles Gordon, the leader of Glasgow City Council, has said that he hopes that a major name such as Frank Gehry or Sir Norman Foster will be engaged to design the new museum of transport which is to be built on three acres of land where the rivers Clyde and Kelvin meet. Expressions of interest in designing the building will appear in the Official Journal of the European Communities in the autumn. But many Scottish architectural practices are said to be angry at the comments as they seem to be ruled out of the commission. They point to the way the competition for the new Scottish Parliament ruled out 99% of Scottish architects and they do not want to see that happening again. They also point to the stunning design of the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh (pictured here) which was created by a firm of Scottish architects and the redesign of the Royal Museum next door, which has been won by a Glasgow architectural firm.

DNA Data Bank?

A Biobank holding the DNA profile of 100,000 Scots is being planned as part of a UK-wide project being funded by the Wellcome Trust, the Department of Health and the Medical Research Council. The information will allow scientists and doctors to better understand why people respond differently to identical treatment and to prescribe drugs to deal with illnesses to which they may be prone. The UK Biobank will study the genes of 500,000 healthy volunteers. But "Generation Scotland" - a rival study run by Edinburgh University - will concentrate on those who are ill or have a family background of illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, strokes or mental health problems.

Scottish Airports Continue to Grow

Edinburgh Airport handled 722,100 passengers in July, an increase of 5.4% over last year, while Glasgow grew by 3.6% to 917,000 passengers. This was despite industrial action by British Airways staff at Heathrow during the month. Overall, the British Airports Authority's seven airports in the UK grew by 2.2% compared to the same month a year ago. Passenger numbers at Aberdeen fell by 1.4% to 243.100, hit by a downturn in North Sea oil rig flights by helicopters.

Clan Chief Aims to Reclaim Family Lands

Simon Fraser, the 26-year-old chief of the Lovat Frasers, has said that one day he wants to be able to buy back Beaufort Castle, near Beauly, which had been owned by the family for 500 years. The family were forced by mounting debts to sell the estate in 1995. It was bought for over £1.3 million by Ann Gloag, the millionaire co-owner of the Stagecoach transport company. Mrs Gloag's mother is a Fraser. Lord Lovat's "daytime" job is as a stockbroker on London and he is due to open the Fraser Room, a small clan museum in Beauly on Saturday.

Picture Messages Will Save Lives

Fife Fire and Rescue Service has teamed up with telecoms company Orange to use the latest mobile phone technology. It will allow crews to send picture messages of accident victims to accident and emergency teams in hospitals so that they can make an early assessment of the extent of injuries and mobilise appropriate medical teams, while avoiding unnecessary call-outs. The initiative is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK and will also allow medical teams to decide whether they should attend accident sites rather than wait for the victims to come to hospital.

Clan MacAuley Grieve for Chief

Iain MacMillan MacAuley made history in August of last year when he was elected the first chief of the clan for over 250 years. But the retired RAF squadron leader, who had worked tirelessly for the clan, died earlier this week during a dinner with friends in Drumbeg in Sutherland. Many clan members were at his funeral on Friday, at Stoer cemetery. The coffin was covered with the red and white colours of the Clan MacAuley . Nominations for the next chief will be requested in due course and an election will take place in a democratic process which is now seen as a blueprint for other disbanded clans.

New Air Route Unveiled

Low-cost airline Ryanair has announced that it is to start a new service to Gothenburg in Sweden from Prestwick in October as part of its expanding operations from the Ayrshire airport. The company already flies to Stockholm, Sweden's capital, and further services to Spain or Italy are planned for next year. Ryanair already fly services from Prestwick to London, Bournemouth, Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt (Hahn), Oslo and Barcelona.

Speed Camera Blunder

Hundreds of motorists were confused this week when they drove along the M74 motorway near Hamilton in Lanarkshire, below the speed limit, but triggering the flashes from a roadside speed camera. Many braked heavily, looking anxiously in their mirrors - with cars behind swerving to avoid them. It eventually came to light that the cameras had been installed to enforce a 40mph restriction at road works. When the repairs finished, the police had forgotten to switch off the speed camera. Afterwards, the police said that the drivers "caught" on camera would not be prosecuted. Just as well - drivers might have been tempted to plead "guilty" to driving at 50mph in a 70mph road!

Sikh Temple for Glasgow

A £10 million Sikh temple is to be built in Berkeley Street in the centre of Glasgow. It will become one of the city's largest public buildings and will accommodate 1,500 worshippers. The building will be clad in a light-coloured limestone and the main dome will be made from glass-reinforced plastic. A Sikh temple already exists in Berkeley Street. There are 10,000 Sikhs in Scotland, mainly in Glasgow, and funds for the temple are being raised by the Sikh community.

Tourists Can Now Take Home a Midge

The bane of many a holiday in the west of Scotland, the tiny, blood-sucking midge, can now be taken home as a "souvenir" by tourists. Not as a living insect in a bottle, but encased forever in a drop of amber-coloured resin. Racheal Harris, a sculptor from Orkney, has set up a production line in her shoreside cottage and is launching the midge-filled droplets as the "Bane of Scotland." She says that anyone who has been driven indoors by clouds of midges on a warm, summer evening, will want to see just how small their tormentors really are. Miss Harris came up with the idea after leaving the lights on and a window open one night. Many midges (fortunately, the non-biting "dancing" midges) were attracted in by the light and by morning, many had perished and were lying in heaps on the floor. She gathered them up, thinking she might find a use for them. She carried out a few experiments and found a way of encasing them in clear resin. She says she is using the blood-sucking variety - once they are beyond causing misery. She hopes they will make attractive souvenirs for tourists who want to exact vengeance.

Forestry Commission Driven Batty

The population of Soprano Pipistrelle bats inhabiting a Victorian mansion in Dumfries, used as offices by the Forestry Commission, has expanded by a factor of seven in the last year and there are now 700 of them roosting in the roof space. As a protected species, the Forestry Commission cannot remove or disturb them. But the chorus of squeaks from the squatters is driving the staff batty. In an attempt to lure at least some of them away, a nearby disused underground tunnel has been opened up. Special grilles have been fitted to the tunnel so that only Pipistrelles can get through - they are the smallest of 16 species of UK bat, and can fit in a match box.

Fish Scale New Heights

Fish farmers in the north of Scotland have been forced to cover the sea cages in which halibut are being reared with shade netting because the fish were becoming sunburnt in the recent spells of long, hot sunshine. The sun's rays were penetrating through the water to the fish being reared in trial halibut farms on the island of Lewis. Halibut are the largest of the flat fish and the laziest ones tend to doze on the seabed beneath the calm waters.

Heat Turns Salmon River Into Sauna

Thousands of salmon, returning to the river Dee at Aberdeen, have become trapped near the mouth of the river where low water levels and blistering heat has turned the river into what has been described as a "sauna". The situation is potentially disastrous and could seriously set back efforts to restore fish stocks in the river. Scottish Water has appealed to consumers in the area to reduce water consumption - 330,000 domestic customers in the area use water which comes from the river Dee.

Drinking is Good for Your Wealth

Only a Scottish University would think of conducting a project into whether drinking at a bar after work with co-workers affects job and salary prospects. But the investigation by Stirling University has apparently revealed that those who join colleagues in an after work beer, earn more than those who are teetotal. The researchers suggest that drinking with workmates, including their bosses, fosters trust and camaraderie. On average, moderate social drinkers earn 17% more than their counterparts who go straight home after work. Heavy drinkers do not do as well as those who drink in moderation - but those who drink more than 25 pints a week still earn more than teetotallers.

Brewery Pours Millions Into Museum

The lager giant, Tennents, is planning to spend millions of pounds on its heritage centre tourist attraction at the company's Wellpark Brewery in Duke Street, Glasgow. It will be doubled in size and will tell the story not just of the company but also of life in the east end of Glasgow. Robert Tennent started the firm as a private brewer in 1556 but it was Hugh Tennent who revolutionised the business in 1885 by introducing lager to Scotland. The company says that the history of brewing is full of wonderful characters and great stories and the new attraction will reflect that. It is likely that the museum will also celebrate the "Lager Lovelies" - the models whose pictures appeared on the lager cans for 26 years.

"Ratty" Enjoys Life in the Highlands

Water voles were most famously depicted as "Ratty" in Kenneth Grahame's 1908 story "The Wind in the Willows", enjoying a life of ease on a riverbank. But the numbers of real water voles have been declining in lowland Scotland and the rest of the UK. But it appears that they are thriving in the burns and rivers in the Cairngorm mountain range in the north-east of Scotland. Research by an ecologist has shown that there are considerable numbers of the small rodents, even on hillsides as high as 2,500 feet where burns have their source and may initially be flowing underground or covered by vegetation.

Weather in Scotland This Week

A new UK highest recorded temperature of 38.1C (100.6F) was set last Sunday at Gravesend in Kent in the south of England and in Scotland Galashiels in the Scottish Borders reached 32.7C (90.8F), 0.1C less than the previous record set in Dumfries in 1908. Although temperatures fell back from these highs to around 20/21C (68/70F), the week has been marked by lots of warm sunshine. Both Aberdeen and Glasgow had over 40 hours of sun between Monday and Friday wither only negligible amounts of rain from a few showers.

This week's illustrations of current flowers in Scotland are of begonias growing in the glass house at Bellisle Park in Ayr (above) and of chrysanthemums seen in the walled garden at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow (below).

Glasgow City Council Vandalises Mackintosh

The City of Glasgow Council has been accused by the Glasgow Architectural Heritage Society of "vandalism" after they had painted Rennie Mackintosh style street lamps outside the Glasgow School of Art with thick black paint. The designs are based on Mackintosh originals, which were unearthed by a research student in the 1980s. The council erected them outside the art school and other Mackintosh buildings in the city, such as Scotland Street School. The lamps complement the Mackintosh-designed art school, but the council says that they have used anti fly-posting paint to discourage illegal advertising being pasted to the poles. The heritage society claims that the lamps have been disfigured and that there was no consultation about the council's action, even with the School of Art.

More Than Just Rennie Mackintosh and "Greek" Thomson

The director of the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland has claimed that many excellent 19th and 20th century Scottish architects have been overshadowed by the attention paid to Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Alexander "Greek" Thomson. Sean O'Reilly said this week that John Lessels, William and James Playfair and Robert Adam have been neglected, despite their importance to Scotland's architectural heritage. He also describes as "insane" students in Edinburgh who study Italian Renaissance architecture, while the history of the New Town in Edinburgh is neglected. But the claim that research on indigenous architects was not carried out was rejected by the senior lecturer in architectural history at Edinburgh University. While students had to be given an international flavour, they also covered a lot on Scotland. But public recognition of architects is always a problem - particularly as the media tend to concentrate on Mackintosh and Thomson.

Blast from the Past Threat to Holyrood?

One of the performers at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe says he will demonstrate how the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood could be attacked by terrorists. He claims that a sophisticated group could capture Edinburgh Castle - and use the 15th century Mons Meg cannon to fire 150kg projectiles into the new legislature. He is to present two lectures on the subject at the Dome in George Street, using movie film taken from a helicopter to demonstrate his ideas. Mons Meg is certainly a fine example of 15th century artillery. But a spokesman for Historic Scotland, who are responsible for the castle, pointed out that the cannon burst while firing a birthday salute for King Charles II in 1682 - and has never been repaired. But the artist says that technically literate terrorists could mend it and aim it at the parliament building. Oh dear. That'll be more delay and another few million added to the cost of the parliament to protect it from a siege gun...

Pioneering Scottish Films Rescued

Margaret Tait, an internationally acclaimed producer of art films and documentaries, was born in Orkney. Amongst her work was a film portrait of the poet Hugh MacDiarmid. Between 1952 and 1996 she created 30 films, recording the daily life of Scotland, as it was nearly 50 years ago. Margaret Tait died four years ago and recently her husband has found 40 discarded reels of her films, some of which had been thought lost. The films have been passed to Scottish Screen and has begun the process of cleaning and remastering them - a task which the organisation has become expert. It is hoped to raise the finance for a retrospective of her films at next year's Edinburgh International Film Festival. A film of Edinburgh's Rose Street by Margaret Tait is reputed to include Sean Connery's first celluloid appearance - as a teenage boy delivering sacks of coal to customers.

This Week in History

• August 17 1822 - Visit of George IV to Edinburgh began, orchestrated by Sir Walter Scott.
• August 17 1947 - First Edinburgh International Festival opened.
• August 18 1966 - Tay Road Bridge opened.
• August 19 1561 - Mary Queen of Scots lands at Leith on her return from France, after the death of her husband, King Francis II
• August 19 1745 - Charles Edward Stuart, raises his standard at Glenfinnan, at the start of the '45 uprising.
• August 20 1897 - Ronald Ross, the first Scot to win a Nobel prize (in 1902) dissected a mosquito and established the link with malaria.
• August 21 1689 - Battle of Dunkeld when the newly formed Cameronians defended the town against 3,000 Highlanders.
• August 21 1754 - Birth of William Murdoch who pioneered the use of coal-gas lighting in 1792 in partnership with James Watt and Mathew Boulton.
• August 21 1937 - Birth of Donald Dewar, former Secretary of State for Scotland and first First Minister in the new Scottish Parliament.
• August 22 1138 - Battle of the Standard at Northallerton in which King David I was defeated by the English.
• August 22 1282 - Devorgilla, Countess of Galloway founded Balliol College, Oxford. She was mother of John Balliol (who acceded to the Scottish throne in 1292).
• August 22 1567 - James Stewart, Earl of Moray and a half-brother of Mary Queen of Scots, proclaimed Regent of Scotland.
• August 22 1582 - James VI abducted and taken to the Castle of Ruthven by the Earls of Mar and Gowrie - the so-called "Ruthven Raid".
• August 22 1642 - King Charles I raised his standard at Nottingham, initiating a Civil War in England between the Royalists (also known as Cavaliers) and Parliament (Roundheads).
• August 23 1305 - William Wallace executed.

Record Crowds for Fringe Sunday

A crowd of over 200,000 people gathered in sweltering sun on The Meadows in Edinburgh to watch the traditional free outdoor show, laid on by 200 of the 668 companies from all around the world, who are performing at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Fringe Sunday holds the record for being the largest free open air festival in the world. While the sunshine meant record crowds for that show, many venue managers were praying for rain as the warm sunshine (25C/77F) on Sunday kept the audiences away from theatres during the day.

Another Funding Crisis for Scottish Opera

Opera companies around the world often struggle to remain financially viable and need large injections of cash to keep them afloat as ticket prices rarely cover the cost of productions. Scottish Opera is not immune to this and in recent years the company has had to go cap-in-hand to the government (via the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) who distribute central funding to the arts). It's annual budget of around £7.4 million has never been enough to cover the expenses incurred. In 1999 a further £2.1 million was allocated and a further £5 million, spread over three years, was allocated in 2001, amid cries that the company would otherwise go out of business. The Scottish Arts Council (and the government and most tax payers) are getting fed up with Scottish Opera continuing to stage lavish productions (which do get a lot of critical acclaim) which strain the budget. The SAC have refused to increase the annual funding for the next three years. Despite the special cash injections, the company has debts of around £3 million and it seems that the only way it can survive is by cutting back on the number of productions (with resulting job losses) and/or by getting other companies to perform in Scotland.

Mary Queen of Scots Heads for Romania

The plan for a £20 million movie on the life of Mary Queen of Scots was supposed to do for Scotland's 16th century queen what Braveheart did for William Wallace. But now the film, being produced by the BBC, has been downgraded to a £5 million TV drama - with the leading part played by an unknown French actress Clémence Poésy and shot in Romania to save money. The producers blame the high cost of technicians in Scotland for the switch to low-cost eastern Europe. The project has been in the pipeline for six years but at last filming is to start soon. The movie is now to be called "Gunpowder, Treason and Plot" and the producers claim that Romanian scenery matches that of Scotland very well, though some supplementary shots will be filmed in Scotland.

River FM Flows Onto the Airwaves

A new radio station, which will focus on West Lothian - the county to the west of the city of Edinburgh - is to go on the air for the first time next month. River FM says it will concentrate on local news and sport as well as hit pop music, with a target audience in the 25-55 age group. It hopes to grab market share from Real Radio and Radio Forth by providing a service specifically for the area. The broadcasting studio is in the shadow of the stadium of Livingston Football Club (who are also a shareholder in the station). River FM will be the only new radio station to be launched in Scotland this year.

Repairs to Glasgow Tower Swing Into Action

A ball bearing, two feet in diameter, has finally been delivered to the Glasgow Science Centre to repair the rotating 400 feet high tower which has been out of action since early 2002. The slim tower, which cost £10 million to create, is the tallest free-standing structure in Scotland and the only high tower which rotates 360 degrees along its length, giving visitors to the viewing platform a magnificent view of Glasgow - and beyond. See www.RampantScotland.com/visit/blvisitglwtower.htm.

Bell's Scottish Football League Challenge Cup - Round 2

Brechin City 3 Stirling Albion 1
Clyde 0 St Johnstone 1
Forfar 4 Albion Rovers 1
Greenock Morton 1 Airdrie United 2
Peterhead 1 Inverness 2
Raith Rovers 2 Stranraer 0
Ross County 5 Dumbarton 0
St Mirren 2 Berwick Rangers 1

Bank of Scotland Premier League Results - 16 August 2003

Aberdeen 2 Rangers 3
Celtic 5 Dundee United 0
Kilmarnock 2 Partick Thistle 1
Livingston 1 Motherwell 0
Dundee v Dunfermline and Hibernian v Hearts will be played on Sunday.

Scottish First Division Results - 16 August 2003

Ayr United 1 Falkirk 1
Brechin City 0 Raith Rovers 3
Inverness 0 Clyde 0
Queen of the South 1 Ross County 0
St Mirren 1 St Johnstone 1

League Tables

Rangers have established themselves at the top of the Scottish Premier League, having won both of their opening matches. Celtic and Livingston share second spot with four points, with Celtic ahead on goal difference after their five goal spree against Dundee United.

In the First Division, St Johnstone are top on goal difference - Raith Rovers, Clyde and Falkirk all have the same number of points (4) as St Johnstone.

Celtic Cruise

After the 0-0 result against Dunfermline last Saturday, Celtic fans were hoping that their team would shake themselves awake for the first leg of this Champions League Qualifying Round 3 against MKT Hungaria. They need not have worried. After an early goal from Henrik Larsson, further goals from Agathe, Petrov and Sutton produced a 4-0 win over their Hungarian opponents, which should make the home leg a formality. Larsson's goal was his 31st in European competitions, making him the highest scorer for any British club against continental opposition.

Rangers Bruised

Rangers got off to a dream start in their Champions League Qualifying Round 3 at Ibrox against FC Copenhagen with a goal after seven minutes from Løvenkrands. But Rangers' record that they had never lost a goal against a Danish side, was rudely smashed with a goal by Jonsson in the 51st minute. While manager Alex McLeish could tightly say "we are still in this competition", an away goal by Copenhagen and home advantage to the Danes in the second leg must put them in the driving seat.

Dundee Do Double

When Dundee made their debut in European football 41 years ago they thrashed Cologne 8-1. The game on Thursday against FK Vllaznia of Albania did not produce such a convincing result, but a 2-0 win, on the away leg, should have ensured that the Dens Park side will proceed further in the UEFA Cup.

Celtic Score £4.4 Million Loss

Celtic Football Club announced an annual loss of £4.4 million this week, despite a £10 million windfall in reaching the final of the UEFA Cup. The size of the deficit (due largely to losses on player transfers) and the total of £17.8 million debt owed by the club, highlights a major reason why manager Martin O'Neill has not been able to make any purchases of players over the summer.

Rangers Reject £10 Million Bid for Ferguson

Graeme Souness, the manager of Blackburn Rovers, is reported to have confirmed that Rangers had rejected a bid of £10 million for their captain, Barry Ferguson. Ferguson has signed a five year contract with Rangers and their manager, Alex McLeish, does not want to lose him. But if Rangers are put out of the Champions League, Ferguson may want to move on and Rangers certainly need the transfer money.

Lambert Agrees to Captain Scotland

Paul Lambert has taken one worry off the shoulders of the Scotland international football manager, Berti Vogts. He has committed to staying as captain of the team until at least the remainder of the Euro 2004 qualifying campaign. 33-year-old Lambert had thought over the summer whether or not to continue in the national team.

Best Golf Course in Scotland

Thousands of golfers have voted the Loch Lomond golf club at Luss the best in Scotland. The course opened nine years ago in 660 acres of land beside the loch and now charges a joining fee of £60,500 and annual fees of £1,750. This entitles members to less than 20 rounds of golf a year. Carnoustie came second in the poll, followed by Muirfield, the Old Course at St Andrews and the Ailsa course at Turnberry.

Shooters Grousing

The grouse-shooting season got under way this week on the "Glorious 12th" with many estates cautiously optimistic about the number of birds. There has been a lot of dry, warm weather in the spring and summer which should have meant that many birds which hatched this year will have survived. But the Scottish Gamekeepers Association has expressed concern about the heather beetle, which it says has been responsible for destroying thousands of acres of heather, the staple diet of red grouse. Parts of Angus and Deeside have been particularly badly affected. The SGA wants to burn some of the worst affected areas, but setting grouse moors on fire in summer is banned. Scotland has 459 estates with significant grouse populations and when indirect spending is taken into account, the annual income from grouse runs to £17 million a year.